The Impact Of Built-Environment Walkability On Obesity Among Women In Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Using Demographic Health Surveys (Dhs) Data, Areej Arshad

Theses

Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, with a population of over 247 million people in 2023. According to the World Health Organization, 23% of Pakistan’s population is obese, with higher prevalence among women (26%) compared to men (19.9%). Recent research in high-income countries has identified built-environment as an important factor impacting physical activity, as well as health outcomes like obesity rates. However, work linking built-environment and health outcomes is scattered for low- and middle- income countries. This study, therefore, aimed to construct a consistent and simple built-environment walkability score for Pakistan using Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) …

Pixel Weave: Explore The Craft, Share The Story, Janki Akbari

Theses

Traditional craft practices are often preserved as finished objects rather than experienced as active systems of knowledge. As a result, the techniques, visual logic, and cultural meaning behind these crafts become less accessible to broader audience. Pixel Weave addresses this challenge by translating the double ikat (a premium, highly complex weaving technique in which both the warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) yarns are individually resist-dyed to a preplanned pattern before being placed on the loom, so that the design only fully emerges once the two dyed yarn sets are woven together) weaving logic of Patan Patola, a centuries old textile …

Buddy Up: An Interaction Design Project For Supporting Task Initiation And Academic Progress Through Peer Accountability Among University Students, Ruijun Li

Theses

Academic procrastination is a common challenge among university students. Although students often understand what they need to do and when their work is due, they may still have difficulty starting tasks, maintaining progress, and avoiding digital distractions. Many existing productivity tools depend on individual self-discipline and provide limited social support. My thesis explores interaction methods that use peer accountability to help university students begin academic work and maintain consistent progress. Buddy Up aims to turn academic work from an isolated activity into a voluntary and mutually supportive accountability experience.

Tomographic Bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Exploiting The Starlink Communication Waveform, Jonathan C. Denton

Theses

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is a powerful tool for imaging and reconnaissance, typically operated in a monostatic configuration. Bistatic geometries spatially separate the transmitter and receiver, capturing unique target scattering information, while passive methods leverage existing environmental signals of opportunity. With the advent of massive Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink, high-bandwidth reference signals with large Doppler modulation now exist globally, offering bistatic SAR imaging potential worldwide. This research presents an end-to-end simulation to demonstrate the passive exploitation of Starlink communication waveforms for tomographic bistatic SAR imaging. Utilizing high-fidelity Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models, the simulation generated a …

The Mediating Role Of Moral Disengagement In The Relationship Between Facets Of Empathy And Aggression, Romiere J. Horace

Theses

Aggression is a major social and public health concern with economic, psychological, and interpersonal implications. Extensive research has examined the potential antecedents for aggressive behavior, with many different environmental, biological, and intrapsychic factors being significantly associated with aggression. Researchers have also focused on cognitive mechanisms, like empathy, as a protective factor for aggression. More specifically, research has linked lower levels of empathy to higher levels of aggression; however, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship remain underexplored. A potential explanatory mechanism is moral disengagement, which allows individuals to justify harmful behaviors and avoid self-sanctions. However, limited research has examined these constructs …

Modeling Comparative Judgments With Machine Learning, Monoshiz Mahbub Khan

Theses

Many tasks can involve analyzing data points and assigning unbound numerical scores or labels. However, without a well-defined standard or point of comparison, such data annotation can require significant cognitive effort from human judges. To mitigate this issue, I propose the use of comparative judgments. Comparative judgments involve pairs of data points and a comparative label instead of a direct one. This process would only ask the human judge to compare the pair of data points and decide which one should have a higher label, but would not ask for the exact value. Moreover, ranking or sorting based tasks with …

Bridging The Gap: Using A Regional Pediatric Intensive To Improve Rural Nursing Students’ Self-Efficacy, Hannah J. Sasser, Will Brewer

Theses

Abstract

Introduction: Valuable clinical learning opportunities is essential, yet often an unmet goal in nursing education, especially within rural associate degree nursing (ADN) programs, where access to high-acuity and diverse clinical experiences is limited.

Background: Nursing students in geographically isolated areas face limited access to specialty clinicals, including pediatrics, creating inadequacies in clinical learning and preparedness (Institute of Pediatric Nursing, 2021).

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effect of a two-day pediatric intensive, incorporating simulation scenarios and micro-learning activities, on the self-efficacy and satisfaction with learning of students in a rural ADN program. …

Evaluating The Use Of Artificial Intelligence To Enhance Pediatric Simulation Among Associate Degree Nursing Students, Kaitlyn Price

Theses

Abstract

Background: Simulation has long been used to prepare pre-licensure nursing students for clinical practice. Traditional written pre-simulation assignments have been the assignment of choice for many years. However, artificial intelligence (AI) guided preparatory tools may offer students a more interactive, personalized way to enhance their simulation experience.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to utilize AI technology in pre-simulation preparatory work to enhance learning in second-semester associate degree nursing students. 

Methods: The study consisted of randomized traditional and AI-guided preparatory groups among consenting participants. The sample consisted of 23 participants. Both sets of students completed the same simulation. …

Framework For Building A Social Media Marketing Strategy For Micro-Small Businesses, Joanna Byrne

Theses

Existing social media marketing literature consistently fails micro-small businesses with five or fewer staff. These sources default to models built for brands with dedicated marketing teams and large budgets. This project addresses that gap using a mixed-methods, practitioner-based action research design. It combines quantitative platform analytics with qualitative process documentation. The research covers four businesses at distinct stages of digital development: Torched Motorsport Supply, a new automotive parts retailer built from zero digital infrastructure; Byrne Diesel Performance, an established diesel shop with an unoptimized presence; Texas Best Compost, a startup developing its brand identity and digital launch disrupted by supply …

Visual Structure, Cultural Memory, And Viewership In Early Medieval Irish High Crosses, Trinity Smith

Theses

This thesis examines how Irish high crosses functioned as structured visual forms through which religious authority and cultural memory were communicated within early medieval Ireland. Previous scholarship has emphasized the theological coherence of these monuments, often assuming a single idealized viewer. This study reconsiders Irish high crosses through the concept of multiple viewership by examining how different audiences may have encountered and understood these monuments. Using comparative visual and contextual analysis, this study examines four case studies: the Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise, Muiredach’s Cross at Monasterboice, the High Cross of Durrow, and the Market Cross at Kells. This …

From Grid To Freedom: A Comparative Analysis Of Canva’S Guardrails And Adobe Illustrator’S Design Flexibility, Caroline Wilmes

Theses

This project focuses on graphic design software becoming increasingly accessible and questions emerging regarding the role of professional designers and the value of industry-standard design tools. This project examines the differences between Canva, a widely used template-driven design platform, and Adobe Illustrator, a professional vector-based design application. Through a hands-on, project-based research approach, the same brand identity was developed in both programs, including a style guide, business card, website homepage mock-up, and tri-fold. The comparison focused on workflow efficiency, creative freedom, typography, color management, scalability, and production readiness.

Findings revealed that Canva excels in accessibility, speed, and ease of use …

Quiet Relief: Voice In Migraine Packaging, Nicole Allgeyer

Theses

This paper explores typography as a form of nonverbal communication in pharmaceutical branding for a fictional medication called Neura by investigating how font choice, visual hierarchy, spacing, and color function as communicative tools to its viewers. This paper combines the studies of semiotics and branding to create a brand that evokes trust, calm, and clarity through a visual branding system. This study investigates visual signifiers (semiotics) such as color and type through visual analysis and implements the findings into the brand. By researching branding, I was able to create a brand that has a focused demographic and image. In creating …

Beyond Affection Meters: A Framework For Relationship Repair Mechanics And Meaningful Play, Christopher B. Del Gesso

Theses

This thesis develops and tests a repair-centered framework for relationship mechanics in narrative games, positioned as an alternative to the affection-meter model that reduces relationships to a single accumulating score. Drawing on eudaimonic media research, relational repair theory, and interpretive-attribution research, the framework argues that meaningful relationship play depends on tracking multiple, potentially divergent relational dimensions; distinguishing repair attempts from repair outcomes; modeling interpretation of player actions rather than fixed action-to-effect mappings; and treating stable, non-restorative endings as legitimate outcomes rather than failure states. A comparative survey of five commercial games, Fallout 4, Tell Me Why, Life is Strange Remastered, …

The Significance Of Abstract Art In Self-Expression: A Study Developed By Analyzing Kandinsky's Black Lines And Producing Visual Juxtapositions, Keturah K. Bowles

Theses

This paper will contemplate how the creation of abstract art, a creative style born from the Avant-Garde movement of the 20th century by artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, was imperative in the pursuit of artistic freedom. Additionally, it will seek to prove that abstraction is one of the unparalleled genres to utilize for self-expression in comparison to genres that uphold traditional art techniques, such as realism. This theory is further emphasized when considering abstract art in juxtaposition to the art standards maintained by the academy. Moreover, the research conducted to support the proposed theory falls into various categories, such as …

Web Of Sisterhood: Somehow Connected, Catherine Scott

Theses

This thesis project is about the connection between female community (sisterhood) and art-making practices. This connection is explored through qualitative research, including research in art history, feminism, community interviews, and personal experience. The connection between sisterhood and art-making is expressed through the construction and development, as well as the visual elements, in the final project. Communication and collaboration with women in my community about the artwork and our connections as women shaped how the work would be constructed, as well as the imagery and colors used in the final piece.

Seeing Power: Authority, Gender, And Spectatorship In Charles I And Henrietta Marie With Their Two Eldest Children, Prince Charles And Princess Mary (1632), Danielle Scaramuzzi

Theses

The visual construction, enactment, and legitimization of political authority is the subject of this thesis concerning Charles I and Henrietta Maria with their two eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Mary (1632), painted by Anthony Van Dyck. Through examination of sovereign representation, gendered body, dynastic continuity, and spectators, this research argues that authority within Northern Baroque portraiture is not established as a single or unchanging entity. However, instead of a monolithic representation of authority, it arises from relational elements, including body language, gesture, space, family relations, and viewer engagement. Although Van Dyck's portrait is generally considered a dynastic image in …

Ethical Visual Truth: An Analysis On Vietnam War Photojournalism, Anna Lauryn Carmichael

Theses

This thesis examines the ethical dimensions of Vietnam War photojournalism through close analysis of four iconic photographs: Nick Ut's The Terror of War (Napalm Girl) , Eddie Adams's Saigon Execution , Catherine Leroy's Vietnam, February 1967 , and Gilles Caron's Untitled (Who's the Enemy Here?) . Rather than treating these images as transparent documentation, this thesis argues that Vietnam War photojournalism functioned as a contested medium of narrative construction, one whose most celebrated images achieved iconic status by conforming to Western visual conventions and institutional demands, rather than by capturing some unmediated truth. Drawing on the interconnected frameworks of visual …

What Is Media Authenticity?: A Guide To Detecting Authentic Media Literacy, Kawan Yarbrough

Theses

This project seeks to answer the question of what media authenticity is, as it relates to different forms of popular media such as social media and content creators, content consumers that also actively post on social media, Reality Television and also touching base on how Artificial Intelligence has infiltrated the lives of many. Aside from discussing academia that has been published on this topic prior, my project will additionally include a quick guideline for being able to detect inauthentic media, and give quick points and recommendations for people that have no active media literacy training of any kind that can …

Choice-Based Artmaking And Critical Pedagogy Through Art As Activism: A Classroom Case Study And Teaching Framework, Emma Klindworth

Theses

This practice-based graduate project examines how choice-based artmaking in a student-centered art classroom can foster critical thinking, reflection, and engagement with contemporary social, political, and cultural topics through art education. Built upon literature on critical pedagogy, student-centered art education, and creative problem-solving, this project combines a pilot lesson, “Art as Activism”, with a qualitative case study. By analyzing student reflections, this project examines how revisions, informed by those findings, demonstrate the ways student choice and student connection to subject matter influence engagement and critical thinking.

The findings of the case study following the “Art as Activism” pilot lesson, suggest choice-based …

Color Shift: A Graphic Design Process Book Exploring How Color And Motion Influence Emotional Perception And Brand Connection In Affordable Women's Fashion Jewelry, Elizabeth Voight

Theses

This study examines how manipulating color and motion within a single brand identity system influences consumer emotional response and brand consistency. Using a fictional modern jewelry brand, Quanta & Co., the research isolates color as the primary variable by applying nine distinct mid-range color palettes to identical layouts, logos, and structures across both print and digital touchpoints. These collateral assets include jewelry packaging, vehicle wraps, digital advertisements, and an animated logo. A quantitative survey was executed to capture real-time audience impressions regarding brand traits, perceived quality, and the overall alignment of each color variation with the brand's identity.

The findings …

Modernizing Civic Building Design For Emergency Shelter Operations: An Architectural Framework With Proposed Design Guidelines For 21st-Century Shelter Readiness, Enrique M. Peralta

Theses

The frequency and severity of climate-related disasters are rising globally, resulting in the displacement of millions of individuals each year. Although this is a worldwide issue, the present research concentrates on the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state region, where severe storms, flooding, prolonged power outages, and other natural hazards frequently necessitate the activation of emergency shelters. While schools, community centers, and other civic buildings are commonly designated for emergency shelter operations, these facilities were not originally designed to accommodate displaced groups during such events. This study focuses on the immediate sheltering period following a disaster, defined as the …

Towards Reliable Large Language Models For Cyber Threat Intelligence, Md Tanvirul Alam

Theses

Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) helps security analysts respond to evolving threats, but the evidence it draws on is often scattered across noisy reports, advisories, and threat descriptions. Large language models (LLMs) provide a flexible interface for security analysis, yet reliable use requires grounding their outputs in source evidence, domain schemas, and CTI standards. We address this problem through structured threat representation, task-specific evaluation, and verifier-guided post-training. First, we study how unstructured CTI reports can be converted into structured threat knowledge. We develop an ontology-guided extraction framework that normalizes attack patterns, extracts typed entities and relations, and constructs a threat intelligence …

Meridian, Rachel Seaton

Theses

Meridian is an ambient tabletop object that translates physiological data into a continuously evolving visual landscape. Rather than presenting emotional information through charts or notifications, it exists as a quiet environmental presence that can be understood through peripheral awareness. A simulated biometric system drives a particle field whose movement reflects physiological variation, producing eight distinct visual signatures. The visual system is governed by four parameters: field density, field disturbance, signal trace, and signal duration, which together shape the behavior and persistence of the particle field. The teardrop form was selected for its ability to convey both the passage of time …

Spikerff: Learning Forward With Layer-Local Plasticity And Semi-Hard Negatives, Karthik Tumkur Kumar

Theses

Effective contrastive learning relies on choosing useful, informative "hard" negative samples. Current hard negative sampling methods designed for traditional artificial neural networks (ANNs) are, in general, computationally costly and are ill-suited to account for the temporal structure relevant to neuromorphic data. To tackle these issues, in this work, we formulate a similarity-guided semi-hard negative sampling strategy for neuromorphic computing based on spiking neural networks (SNNs). We propose SpikeRFF (Spiking Recurrent Forward-Forward), a gradient-free and unsupervised recurrent spiking framework that combines layer-local Forward-Forward learning with semi-hard negative selection and temporally structured negative construction. Positive samples are encouraged to produce high goodness, …

Rooted Worlds, Eli Groborchik

Theses

Plant Awareness Disparity (PAD) describes a widespread cognitive bias where plant life is systematically overlooked in favor of its animal counterparts. This disconnect is acutely visible in natural history museums where plant life is notoriously difficult to display. Rooted Worlds is an interactive, physical-digital installation designed to combat this bias by bridging the emotional and educational gap between audiences and Earth’s diverse ecosystems. Rejecting traditional flat screens and passive dioramas, the exhibit utilizes a fourteen-foot, 270-degree cylindrical projection screen to immerse visitors in six distinct, digitally rendered global biomes, creating a restorative and engaging space that leverages Attention Restoration Theory …

Large Language Model-Driven Agents In Virtual Reality For Inclusive Communication Training, Ziming Li

Theses

Vocational training programs aimed at improving the employability and autonomy of autistic individuals primarily focus on enhancing social communication skills. However, developing and implementing such training activities often demands significant time and effort from job coaches, who must adapt to various interview and workplace scenarios while customizing the training to meet the specific needs of autistic trainees. These challenges create barriers for job coaches to efficiently train autistic individuals and objectively evaluate their performance. To address these challenges, this dissertation explores the use of virtual reality (VR) and large language model (LLM)-driven agents to create customizable and interactive training platforms …

Integrated Sources Of Photon-Pairs For Quantum Networking, Vijay Soorya Shunmuga Sundaram

Theses

Quantum networking enables the distribution of quantum information across distant nodes, unlocking capabilities such as secure communication, distributed quantum computing, enhanced metrology, and tests of fundamental physics. Photons serve as the natural carriers of quantum information over long distances due to their low loss in optical fibers and robustness to environmental decoherence. However, the practical realization of quantum networks remains limited by the lack of photon sources that are simultaneously compatible with diverse quantum systems, stable over long timescales, and suitable for deployment in real-world fiber infrastructure.  This dissertation addresses these challenges through the co-development of photon-pair sources and a …

Development Of Blue And Near-Uv Iii-Nitride Laser Diodes, Matthew Seitz

Theses

III-Nitrides show tremendous promise for a wide range of laser diodes and other optoelectronics devices. The wide range of emission wavelengths possible makes these devices ideal candidates for a wide range of applications. Despite this, several challenges remain unsolved, limiting the efficiency and output power from III-Nitride optoelectronics. Three of the most significant remaining challenges surround the formation of low resistance ohmic electrical contacts, poor p-type doping of III-Nitride crystals as well, and the fabrication of the smooth, mirror facets needed for optical feedback and laser operation. Inefficient dopant activation leads to poor conductivity and increased electrical resistance due to …

Topological Tools For The Analysis Of Complex Networks And Higher-Order Networks, Jason P. Laruez

Theses

This dissertation investigates the intersection of topological data analysis and network science, applying and extending persistent homology, Betti numbers, and simpliciality measures to study temporal, evolving, and coevolving networked systems. We introduce a multi-layer zigzag persistent homology framework for analyzing temporal hypergraphs across multiple timescales simultaneously, and validate it on the DARPA Operationally Transparent Cyber dataset, where it produces topological signatures that distinguish malicious from benign network activity by source IP. We then apply topological tools to classical generative network models and their hypergraph extensions, characterizing how Betti numbers, filling efficiencies, and simpliciality measures evolve as these models grow or …

Gender Relations Within 18th And 19th Century Art And How It Affects A 21st Century Learner, Sophie Lima

Theses

This study constructs a curriculum unit comprising five lessons in feminist art history for middle school learners in 5th-8th grade. Drawing on theories and concepts from feminist art history, visual culture, and inquiry in art education, this curriculum aims to address the scarcity of age-appropriate materials in feminist art history. There is a need for curricular materials that help learners critically analyze issues of gender, identity, and power conveyed through visual culture. The curriculum encourages middle-grade students to engage with three approaches to art analysis: formalism, iconography, and feminism. The organized unit focuses on inquiry, interpretation, comparison, production, and evaluation. …